To say that this bottle is insulated is a bit of an understatement. I can put ice in, and many hours later, it’s still there. So, if you want a bottle that keeps your water cold all day, this would be a great option. The bottle also includes an interior mesh filter to keep ice (or tea leaves) from escaping when you drink. The bottle is also sweat-resistant, but as I tried it in cooler, less humid weather, it’s hard for me to judge that feature. I never noticed any sweat on the outside of the bottle, even when it had ice inside.

On the reverse side, thinksport also keeps hot beverages hot, maybe to a fault. You should heed the warning on the package about assuming the temperature of your beverage will be the same hours later as it was when you put it inside. For example, I poured some coffee directly from the pot into the bottle. When I opened the top later, I discovered that the coffee was still hot enough to burn my tongue. The coffee never got a chance to cool as it would sitting in a mug.

Perhaps you should make sure your hot beverage is at a ready-to-drink temp when you pour it into this bottle. Otherwise, you may need to leave the lid off to let it cool briefly. Since the bottle is double-walled, the hot coffee never heated the outside of the bottle. It was still comfortable to hold, unlike the standard SIGG which is uncomfortable to hold if you put anything hot inside.

The shape of the bottle is handsome, and it’s easy to hold. Yet, the wider bottle may not fit into some auto drink holders. The whole thing is BPA free and also free of PVC, phthalates, lead, cadmium and anything else considered toxic. The opening is wide enough to make bottle cleaning easy. The drink spout is about the size of a plastic soda bottle, but taller. I found it very comfortable to drink from.

Overall, I’d recommend this bottle if you’re looking to control the temperature of your beverage, or if you just want a more elegant bottle. I never noticed any strange taste to my water when drinking from thinksport. I’d feel comfortable giving thinksport as a gift.

Have you tried thinksport?

(Image via thinksport)

I’ve been using an ISO 70 water bottle from Laken. It’s a modern-looking, but very functional water bottle made in Spain.

I received the bottle for free from Laken for review purposes.

Things I really like about the ISO 70:

• It holds a large amount of water.
• It’s insulated, keeping things cooler than my SIGG did.
• Wide-mouth opening means bottle is easier to clean.
• Bottle is 100% recyclable.
• Like all Laken bottles, ISO 70 is certified BPA free.
• It’s comfortable to carry around.
  

The only disadvantage I found is that the bottle may not fit in smaller drink carriers in some cars. It fits fine in my husband’s truck, but wobbles a little in my Civic drink holder. Overall, I’m impressed with the bottle. It seems to be very durable and well made.

Have you tried any Laken water bottles? Does the BPA-free certification make you feel more comfortable trusting Laken?

I received a bottle at no charge for review purposes. I tried the adult size, which is 26 ounces and made of food-grade stainless steel. An insulated tote is also available, but I didn’t try it.

One nice thing about the Eco Canteen is the large opening at the mouth. It makes cleaning easier than with the SIGG bottle and it’s lighter to carry. The lid is easy to remove and re-secure. I didn’t notice any leaks. Of course, it’s also completely BPA free.

Overall, I think this is a good basic water bottle for a fair price ($9.99). Though not as decorative as the SIGG, it still gets the job done. If you’re looking for good office gifts in the $10 range, I’d suggest these.

The only thing I don’t like is that a video starts playing when you visit the Eco Canteen site. Sure, you can turn it off, but it’s just a pet peeve of mine.

Still not convinced you should ditch bottled water? Keep in mind that a 20 oz bottle of water takes 5 oz of oil to produce and ship, plus you’re left with a plastic bottle that’s not so reusable.

(Image from Eco Canteen)

UPDATE: August 2009, SIGG bottles made prior to August 2008 contain trace amounts of BPA.

Isn’t it lovely? (Sorry about the glare on the photo. It’s so nice it shines.)

Since a main focus of this blog is sharing steps I take to be greener in my everyday life, I thought I’d tell you about my new best friend: My SIGG bottle. (It may seem like I’m bragging a little too much on this bottle, but I promise I did pay for it myself. This is my unbiased review.)

I stopped buying bottled water a few years ago. It’s too heavy, too expensive and too too wasteful.

What are the reasons people consume bottled water on a regular basis? (I understand the occasional emergency bottle.)

•Tap water doesn’t taste good.

•No handy water container to take on the go.

Here’s what I do:

I purify my tap water with a Brita water pitcher. One filter lasts a couple months. I keep the pitcher in the refrigerator so I always have cold water on hand. You can also buy filters that fit on the faucet, but I’ve had bad experiences with those breaking. It just so happens that Brita is having a Filter For Good campaign right now. You can take a pledge to reduce your bottled water consumption and get a coupon for Brita pitchers and filters.

To solve the problem of having a water container on hand I used some plastic water bottles for years. However, Michael would complain about the water tasting like plastic after it had been in the bottle for a bit. So, yeah, I started to notice this too.

That’s where SIGG came in. It’s made of a solid piece of aluminum — no plastic to leach. Tests have shown 0 leaching. The bottles are 100 percent recyclable, and the bottle lining is water-based and non-toxic. It’s baked into the interior walls, but does not crack.

Another plus for me is the cool cap. You can buy a more traditional cap, but the one it comes with can also act as a nice handle. When I take it out shopping with me (because I always get thirsty), I can drop it into my shopping bags and not worry about it leaking. No snap top to pop off.

Perhaps the biggest plus with my new SIGG is that the cat can’t dip his paws into it. How relaxing — I can leave it unguarded in the living room!

SIGG bottles are also not as prone to leaking as plastic bottles can be. If the seal in the cap is worn, you can purchase another cap easily. The bottle itself is very durable. I can’t imagine anything crushing it. Maybe a giant Hummer might dent it though. Yeah, probably a Hummer would kill my SIGG.

Where to buy? Whole Foods Markets, among other places. Go to SIGG for a complete list. I got mine from reusablebags.com. As you probably know by now, I’m so in love with them.

Enough about my water bottle. What do you use?